![A North Korean defector group puts rice and face masks into plastic bottles to send to the north on June 18, 2020. The image is not related to the story. [YONHAP]](https://www.koreadailyus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/0626-bottles.jpg)
Six American nationals were detained by police on Friday after allegedly attempting to send plastic bottles filled with U.S. dollar bills, rice and religious materials across the sea toward North Korea from Ganghwa Island, Incheon — a designated restricted zone.
According to Incheon’s Ganghwa Police Precinct, the group, rainging in age from their 20s to 50s, is under investigation for allegedly violating the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety.
At approximately 1:06 a.m. Friday, the individuals were spotted near the Mangwoldondae Watchtower in Hajeom-myeon, Ganghwa County, where they had reportedly prepared over 1,300 plastic bottles containing rice, one-dollar bills and copies of the Bible to float toward North Korea.
Ganghwa County has been subject to administrative restrictions since November 2024 under a local order that prohibits launching materials into North Korea. A military unit monitoring the coastline observed the group’s activities and alerted local police.
A police official said, “Because the suspects do not speak Korean fluently, we plan to conduct further questioning with the assistance of an interpreter.”
BY KIM JI-HYE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]
